NBA Notes: Bulls, Josh Giddey, Cavs, Jaylon Tyson, Pacers

Bulls

The Bulls are inching closer to getting Josh Giddey back.

Giddey, sidelined since December 29 with a strained left hamstring, has been upgraded from out to doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Nets, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network.

Johnson does not expect Giddey to play, but the designation is viewed as a positive sign that a return is nearing.

Cavaliers

The Cavaliers may have finally stumbled onto an answer at small forward.

Second-year wing Jaylon Tyson followed his breakout night in Philadelphia with even more momentum, and Tony Jones of The Athletic suggests Cleveland’s long search for production at the position may be ending.

“I needed to figure out what role I had to play,” Tyson said. “Tonight, Philadelphia tried to take Donovan (Mitchell) out of the game, so Donovan told me to be ‘California Jaylon.’ That meant for me to go and get a bucket.”

Tyson scored 39 points and delivered the game-winning assist against the Sixers, a far cry from his rookie season, when he averaged just 3.6 points per game.

This year, he is up to 13.4 points while shooting better than 52 percent from the field and nearly 48 percent from three.

Mitchell is already campaigning.

“The award is made for people like Jaylon,” Mitchell said. “He should win it.”

Pacers

Pacers center Isaiah Jackson is back on the floor, but his return came after a difficult stretch.

Jackson missed nearly four weeks with a concussion and told The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak just how severe it became.

“Headaches. Fogginess,” Jackson said. “Light sensitivity. Sound sensitivity. I was literally just in my room with the blinds shut. It was bad.”

Jackson returned Saturday, relieved to be playing again after what he described as one of the toughest health scares of his career.